Chapter 369: An Awkward Plan (2)

As the evening rush hour began, Kang Chan left the apartment complex with Kim Mi-Young and headed toward a Japanese-style pork cutlet restaurant.

The two strolled amid people walking hurriedly past them.

Kang Chan couldn't help but smile when Kim Mi-Young looked at him.

“What’s with the smile?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“I’m just happy I get to spend time with you.”

Kim Min-Young playfully pouted.

Not too long ago, they used to walk down this road together in their school uniforms. Back then, Kang Chan’s hand was bandaged. Now, she was wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, and Kang Chan was wearing a suit. The worlds they lived in had become as different as night and day.

“Don’t you find it a hassle to walk all the way to the restaurant just to have dinner with me?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“You think this is hard for me?”

“Yeah!”

Kang Chan chuckled. Nothing about this could be considered difficult.

“What did you want to ask me?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“Well, before that, where’s this restaurant you want to visit?”

“It’s that one!” Kim Mi-Young pointed to the building at the corner of the block.

The sign was written in Japanese. Cheol-Su—a character who had appeared in the Japanese book that Kang Chan had read in school some time ago—would've been very happy to see this restaurant. Of course, he would’ve just left after asking the prices of various things.

It was a small restaurant that only had ten tables, which were so small that they could only seat two people. Fortunately, they still had one empty table left—the one right in front of the counter. Kim Mi-Young sat near the wall, and Kang Chan sat near the entrance.

“Can I take your order?”

The employee seemed quite impatient.

“One moment please,” Kim Mi-Young said, then held up the acrylic menu.

“I’m going to have a beef tenderloin cutlet. What about you?” Kim Mi-Young asked Kang Chan.

“I’ll have the same thing.”

“Let’s order one beef tenderloin cutlet and one fish cutlet and share instead.”

“Sure.”

When did she grow up so much?

Watching Kim Mi-Young order for them, Kang Chan thought about many things.

“Now, what did you want to ask me?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

it didn't feel right to ask her the question while people were eating cutlets right next to them.

“Let’s have dinner first and talk about it over coffee instead.”

Kim Mi-Young cocked her head, her expression seemingly asking what he had in mind. However, she didn’t press further.

Kang Chan listened to Kim Mi-Young talk about school, her sunbaes, how different the classes were from high school, and what she'd been doing after classes.

So that’s what you’ve been up to while I was gone... Me? I was going through things I can’t even tell you about.

Soon, their order was served.

Ha! These fuckers cut their cutlets into bite-size pieces.

Even though it was more expensive than the cutlets in the snack bar, it was really nice that they could eat it with chopsticks.

“Try it,” Kim Mi-Young said as she brought up her chopsticks to his mouth.

Since they were in a restaurant filled with people, it felt wrong to refuse. Hence, Kang Chan obediently ate the piece of cutlet that she was trying to feed him.

Crunch. Crunch.

Isn’t this more like deep-fried meat than cutlets?

“How is it?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“It’s good.”

Kim Mi-Young smiled brightly and then started eating.

It was ridiculous, but delicious cutlets reminded Kang Chan of Seok Kang-Ho and Gérard.

Would anyone be able to understand why he thought of two darkly tanned men whenever he had delicious food?

They were in a small restaurant that was filled with customers who were looking at them, but Kim Mi-Young didn't care—no, it would be more accurate to say that she was too preoccupied with spending precious time with Kang Chan that she didn't even notice the stares.

The look in her eyes, her smile, and even the way she slathered the fish cutlet in sauce and gave it to him showed how much she liked him.

It felt like the awkwardness between them while they were walking to the restaurant was disappearing with each piece of cutlet.

“This is really good,” Kang Chan commented.

“Right?

Huhuhu

.”

Kang Chan had been wondering why her laugh sounded different.

Has her laughter always been this nice to hear?

It took them about forty minutes to finish their cutlets, a small bowl of udon, and steamed rice.

“Do you still have time for coffee?” Kim Mi-Young asked afterward.

“Of course,” Kang Chan answered. He suddenly felt bad for making Kim Mi-Young wait for him and worry about taking up too much of his time.

“I’ll pay for our dinner,” Kim Mi-Young said.

“What?”

Even though Kang Chan didn’t agree to it, Kim Mi-Young stood up from her seat and quickly ran to the counter to pay.

Upon catching up to her, he asked, “Why are you paying?”

“Because you came all the way here even though you’re busy.”

Kim Mi-Young unsnapped her wallet’s snap fastener and opened it. She then took out two 10,000 KW bills and handed them to the cashier. Kang Chan didn’t mean to look inside, but he noticed that she only had a few 1000 KW bills left.

Distressed, Kang Chan pursed his lips.

By the time they had exited the restaurant, it was already dark outside.

“Where do you want to go next?” Kang Chan asked.

Kim Mi-Young pointed to an establishment a bit of distance away from them. “That way!”

“It’s a small specialty coffee shop. I like it because it’s quiet,” she explained.

As they headed to the coffee shop, Kim Mi-Young hugged his arm. She unknowingly pulled on the stitches on his forearm, which almost made him frown.

“This makes me happy!” she exclaimed. Afterward, she asked, “So, what have you been meaning to ask me?”

Had she always been this persistent? Well, it didn’t matter. Kang Chan planned to ask her about it tonight anyway.

“Are you busy this weekend?”

“Not really!” Kim Mi-Young answered.

The specialty coffee shop was now right in front of them.

“Let’s go inside. What do you want to drink?” he asked.

After placing their order, they sat at a table near the terrace with their drinks—coffee and peppermint tea.

“There’s actually someone that I really want to introduce to you...” Kang Chan trailed off.

Curious, Kim Mi-Young looked at Kang Chan.

“He’ll be flying to Mongolia soon. I was hoping we could stay at a pension house with him for about a day before he leaves.”

“A pension house?” Kim Mi-Young asked, mixed emotions evident on her face.

“If you’re uncomfortable with that, we can just find some time later and you can meet him then.”

“It’s not that. I was just wondering how I’d get permission to go to a pension house.”

Ah, right! She needs her parents’ permission first.

Kang Chan looked outside for a moment.

“Let me talk to your parents about this,” he then offered.

Surprised filled Kim Mi-Young’s expression.

“It’s better than you sneaking out, right?”

“That’s true, but do you think my dad will let me go?”

Smirking, Kang Chan took out his phone.

“You know my dad’s number?”

“Yeah.”

He looked for Kim Kwan-Sik’s number and dialed it.

The dial tone rang. Soon, he heard the stern voice of Kim Mi-Young’s father.

- Hello?

“Good evening, sir. It’s Kang Chan.”

- Ah. Good evening.

“I’m with Mi-Young.”

- Is that right?

Kim Kwan-Sik sounded delighted.

- How can I help you?

“I’d like to introduce Mi-Young to one of my colleagues. He’s leaving for Mongolia in three days, so I was hoping you’d let Mi-Young spend the day with us in a pension house tomorrow.”

- You want to go there with Mi-Young?

“Yes, sir.”

An uncomfortable silence permeated the call. Kang Chan heard Kim Kwan-Sik let out a groan-like sigh.

-

Hmm

.

- Although I already know you act without hesitation, I still didn’t expect you to confidently ask something like this. Can you keep the promise you made?

“Yes.”

- Alright. Since I won’t have to worry about Mi-Young’s safety if she’s with you, I’ll put my trust in you.

“Thank you.”

Kim Mi-Young’s eyes, who had been looking at Kang Chan anxiously, widened in surprise.

- You’re really hard to predict. Can you put Mi-Young on the phone?

“One moment please.”

Kang Chan handed the phone to Kim Mi-Young. She answered it with a nervous expression.

“Hello? That’s right. Uh-huh. No. I had dinner with him. Yes. I will. Thank you, Dad.”

When Kim Mi-Young returned the phone to Kang Chan, the call had already ended.

“My dad said that he’d tell my mom about this himself. What did he tell you? Have you talked to him before?”

“I have. About two times because of work.”

It was a relief that Kim Mi-Young didn’t ask about Kang Chan’s work. He didn’t want to tell her that he met Abibu with her father.

While taking in the chilly night air, the warm coffee, and Kim Mi-Young’s clear eyes, Kang Chan felt the spite that had filled him slowly disappear. Right now, he was as far as could be from combat and death.

Kang Chan looked into Kim Mi-Young’s eyes, which shone as brightly as the stars.

***

“Keep safe,” Kang Chan said afterward.

“I will! See you tomorrow at 1 pm!”

“See you!”

Kim Mi-Young couldn’t turn away from Kang Chan.

Honestly, Kang Chan didn’t want to turn away from her either. He enjoyed the time he had spent with her so much that he briefly forgot that the agents were keeping an eye on them.

He never thought he would enjoy looking into Kim Mi-Young’s eyes and spending time with her this much.

“I’ll get going,” Kang Chan said.

“Bye.”

Kim Mi-Young turned away and went home.

Instead of going home, Kang Chan headed to his office and called Kang Chul-Gyu and Kim Hyung-Jung. He quickly told them everything they needed to know and then hung up. Since it was already quite late, he didn't bother calling Gérard.

***

The next day, Kang Chan had a relaxing morning. He left the office after lunch.

“Heading out, sir?” one of the agents asked.

“Yeah. When Daye stops by, tell him that I have plans today and that I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Yes sir.”

Afterward, Kang Chan headed to the Namsan Hotel. Choi Jong-Il met him at the entrance.

“We parked the car over there.” Choi Jong-Il pointed at the car that they had parked in front of the entrance. He then handed him the key. “We already inputted the pension house's address into the GPS device, so it should be the first address you see when it turns on. We've also prepared everything you’ll need at the pension house.”

“Thanks.”

Kang Chan then entered the hotel and found Kang Chul-Gyu standing by the doors.

Kang Chan smirked. Kang Chul-Gyu was wearing clean clothes. They seemed to have been washed here at the hotel.

“Let’s go,” Kang Chan said.

Although Kang Chul-Gyu didn’t know where they were going, he still followed Kang Chan out without a word.

When Kang Chan pressed a button on the car key, the blinkers flickered and the car unlocked with a

click

. He slid onto the driver's seat, and Kang Chul-Gyu sat on the passenger's side.

Afterward, they hit the road.

While Kang Chan enjoyed driving on days like this, driving in Seoul was as difficult as fighting in a battle. Because cars kept cutting into the lane, he had to focus so much that they ended up driving in silence until they crossed the Hannam Bridge.

At that moment, he realized that he should never have a weapon with him when he was driving.

“I used to think that people like me shouldn’t start a family,” Kang Chan began while they were stuck in traffic, “but I changed my mind after our most recent deployment. I met someone in high school, and she’s a freshman in college now. I doubt I’ll be perfect... but I’m thinking of having a serious relationship with her.”

The car moved again.

“We’re on our way to a pension house so we can spend a day there with her.”

Kang Chul-Gyu just kept quietly looking straight ahead.

They drove the rest of the way to Kim Mi-Young’s apartment in awkward silence. Whenever Kang Chan tried to do something with this man, they would always either do it in awkward silence or they’d be awkward around each other while doing it.

When they reached Kim Mi-Young's apartment, she was already waiting out in the front. Kang Chan parked the car on the road and then got out.

Click.

As Kim Mi-Young approached them, Kang Chul-Gyu also got out of the car.

The three stood in a circle. It was fucking awkward.

“This is the person I told you about yesterday,” Kang Chan told Kim Mi-Young. He then turned to Kang Chul-Gyu. “Her name’s Kim Mi-Young.”

“Hello,” Kim Mi-Young greeted Kang Chul-Gyu.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Get in,” Kang Chan said.

Unsure of which seat to take, Kim Mi-Young hesitated. To help her decide, Kang Chul-Gyu took the backseat.

The three then headed to the pension house.

The drive to their destination was so quiet that they could hear when one of them swallowed dryly.

“Um...” Kim Mi-Young trailed off, rummaging through her bag. She then turned toward the back seat and said, “Please try this.”

“Thank you, Miss,” Kang Chul-Gyu said.

“Please be more casual when talking to me.”

Through the rearview mirror, Kang Chan saw Kang Chul-Gyu's expression twist as if he was sucking on an odd-tasting candy.

“Have one too.” Kim Mi-Young gave Kang Chan candy. She had partly removed the wrapper for him.

The candies made it even harder for them to talk.

Amid the silence, the female GPS voice constantly gave Kang Chan directions.

The atmosphere was simply amazing.

“What was your name again, Miss?” Kang Chul-Gyu asked.

“I’m Kim Mi-Young. Please talk to me more casually.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

The hell? He can say something like that with that kind of expression? Well, it’s quieted down again, so what was even the point of that?

[In two kilometers, turn right to the Gangdong Bridge.]

The GPS talked about the speed and the lanes as if it were saying, “To me, it doesn’t matter whether you guys feel awkward or not!”

Kang Chan drove in discomfort. Meanwhile, Kim Mi-Young, who had a complicated expression, alternated between looking straight ahead and at Kang Chan. Chul-Gyu just kept staring out the window indifferently.

There wasn’t that much traffic after exiting the Olympic Expressway. The GPS device didn’t say much more either since they just had to go straight.

Soon, they began driving parallel to a river. They then turned right in front of the Cheongpyeong Dam. Stylish pension houses and other accommodations next to the river came into view.

[You’ll reach your destination in two hundred meters.]

The GPS device sounded disappointed that they had arrived at their destination.

They had the river to their right, across which was a tall hill. They passed by a sign that said ‘Sweet Tree.’

What does that even mean?

Kang Chan parked in the parking lot. A man in his mid-forties then began to approach them. He seemed to be the owner of the pension house.

Kang Chan liked the clear air of the area the most.

“Do you have a reservation?” the man asked. Based on his expression, he seemed to be wondering what their relationship was with each other.

“Yes, we do. It’s under Kang Chan. Did we come here too early?” Kang Chan asked.

“Not at all. Please come this way.”

The owner glanced at them again, then turned and led the way out of the parking lot.

The pension house was amazing. Its living room gave them a nice view of the river, and it also had a yard out front where they could grill meat.

The owner handed Kang Chan the key to the pension house, then headed to his office, seemingly not wanting to bother them anymore.

Choi Jong-Il might’ve said something to the owner.

Screech.

Upon entering the pension house, the fairly large living room and the kitchen immediately caught Kang Chan’s attention. The living room took up half of this multi-story house’s second floor.

There were two rooms and a bathroom on the first floor.

A coffee pot, coffee beans, ground coffee packets, and instant coffee were on the kitchen shelves, while the fridge was filled with meat and side dishes. Rice, soy sauce, gochujang[1], regular ramyeon, and cup ramyeon were in the cupboards above the sink.

It looked as if the agents had gotten one of everything from a convenience store.

Kang Chan opened a bottle of water and poured it into the coffee pot.

“I’m going to have coffee...” Kang Chan trailed off.

It wouldn’t be right to speak informally to Kang Chul-Gyu in front of Kim Mi-Young, would it?

“What would you like to drink, sir?” Kang Chan respectfully asked Kang Chul-Gyu.

Kang Chul-Gyu glanced at Kim Mi-Young, then looked back at Kang Chan again.

“I’ll also have a cup of coffee. What about you, Mi-Young?” Kang Chul-Gyu asked.

“I’ll just have green tea,” Kim Mi-Young answered as she approached them.

“We don’t need to make brewed coffee. We can just put two packets of instant coffee into each cup,” Kang Chan said.

Kim Mi-Young looked surprised but still did as Kang Chan suggested, pouring instant coffee into their cups and putting a green tea bag into hers.

“I’ll take a look around outside,” Kang Chul-Gyu said.

As if to avoid the awkwardness, he went out to the yard.

“Did you prepare all of this?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“I asked some people to.”

“This must have cost you a lot.”

Kang Chan just smiled in response.

“It feels awkward, doesn’t it?” he asked.

“A little.”

They were finally able to talk a little bit now that they were alone.

“What should I call him?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“Huh?”

“Should I call him sir?”

Kang Chan glanced at Kang Chul-Gyu as he poured water into a mug. The man was carefully examining the area across from them and his surroundings, specifically the places where they could be shot from.

There was no way Choi Jong-Il would leave the house across from the pension house unattended, though. They had definitely stationed agents in it so they could better secure the area.

“Would you like to have our drinks outside?” Kang Chan asked.

“Sure. That’s a good idea.”

Kang Chan and Kim Mi-Young left the living room and went outside. He carried two mugs, and she carried her green tea.

They had an expansive view, and the air was clean and cool. The warm afternoon sunlight pleasantly greeted them.

There was a barbeque grill and charcoal on one side of the yard.

Kang Chan and Kim Mi-Young sat next to each other at the wooden table. Kang Chul-Gyu sat across from them.

Taking a sip of the hot and sweet coffee made Kang Chan feel a little better.

Meanwhile, Kang Chul-Gyu looked at the river.

The sun was starting to go down already, which made Kang Chul-Gyu’s wrinkles look much deeper than before.

Perhaps it was because they were always in combat, but Kang Chan had never noticed how many wrinkles Kang Chul-Gyu had until now. The man was already quite old, his face filled with traces of his past.

1. Gochujang or red chili paste is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cuisine ☜